We all want to do well at work. We all want to also be rewarded for doing well. It is when we think we are doing well and we are not rewarded to our expectations that we tend to get antsy, upset, disheartened and worse yet, disenfranchised. We then make decisions on how long to stay at the same job and how hard we will work and how much we will or won’t put of ourselves into the job at hand. We all have examples of when we think the rewards and recognition doesn’t match up to our expectations and how we feel when that happens. It is a very hard conversation to have with our employers and sometimes we don’t even know with who we should have the conversation. Should it be our boss directly or some intermediaries like an HR person? Regardless of who it is, it is still a difficult conversation to have and one that if you can avoid entirely, then all the better. But what are we to do in the situation where something has to change? Other than the leverage of leaving the company, which is not the purpose or the desired outcome, there is not much we can say to potentially change the results. One thing the Bible tells us is that there are certain areas that an employer cares more about than others and that if we are concentrating our efforts and work in those areas that we are more likely to be rewarded than not. In Proverbs 27:18 we are told; “Workers who tend a fig tree well are allowed to eat its fruit. In the same way, workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.” The key to the rewards desired is in knowing, fulfilling and protecting the interests of our employers. This sounds so simple and should be easy to do. But, it is not as clear as it looks on the surface. What are sometimes hard to discern is the true interests of the company, the ones that when pressed and threatened that the company would be stopped in their tracks. Listen carefully to what you hear your boss and CEO saying about where the company is putting its resources (human and financial) and align your work to those goals and objectives. If you are seen as one who is committed to protecting those interests you will be rewarded. I would also add that if you are one who shows other that you care this passionately about the success and sustainability of the company that you will be a role model to others. That in itself gives you a platform to share and tell others why you are so committed.

Reference: Proverbs 27:28 (New Living Testament)